Tashkent, Christians and Muslims increasingly targeted by authorities

Intimidation of Muslims during Ramadan: increased controls on mosques and a ban on taking part in iftar. Meanwhile, fines and violence against Protestants caught in possession of Christian literature continue.

Tashkent (AsiaNews) - The
persecution of religious minorities continues in Uzbekistan. Protestant
and Muslim communities are the most affected by the restrictions, but
"anyone who professes a religious belief is a possible target for the
government." This
is confirmed to the Non Governmental Organization Forum 18 different local sources, anonymous for security reasons.

Since last July 9, the day of the
start of Ramadan, police officers have prevented Uzbek Muslims from taking part
iftar meals that marks the end of the daily fast during the holy month. Abdurakhmon
Tashanov, from the humanitarian organization Ezgulik, says that even in the capital Tashkent, where the Muslim
community is more entrenched, the few restaurants that prepared the so-called
"Islamic breakfast" did so in secret and with the fear of
intimidation by the authorities .

For about a month now, government
restrictions have also extended to freedom of prayer, with increasing controls
by the police in the vicinity of places of worship. On
August 2, Yelena Urlayeva, an aid worker for Human Rights Alliance, said she had seen policemen check bags and
personal effects at the entrance of the mosque in Tashkent Buva Tura, for noon
prayer.

The possession of religious
literature, prohibited by law in Uzbekistan only if it contains messages of
violence or extremism, is instead punished indiscriminately by government
authorities, with heavy fines or corporal punishment. In
recent months, a growing number of Uzbeks Protestants have been fined for
holding a Bible, while in recent days, in the northwestern region of Khorezm,
police officers beat the Protestant Sardorbek Nurmetov after having seized some
religious notes. "It
is no coincidence that he was detained - another member of the local community told
Forum 18 - they knew he was of the
Protestant faith."

According to several sources,
"the
followers of different religions now live in a state of terror, and are
afraid to keep objects or religious writings at home. Some have even arrived at
destroying the texts with their own hands rather than see them seized and end
up in
the hands of the police. 'National law prohibits the possession of the sacred
books but does not allow raid of this type: they ignore their own laws. "